Automatic cistern-water controller.



No. 726.063. T I PATENTED A PR,*2l, 1903..

A. RHUMMEL.

AUTOMATIC CISTERN WATER'GONTROLLBR. APPL IOA'IYION FILED DBO. 26, 1902.

WITNESSES: INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY.

' UNITED STATES ,PATENT OFFICE.

ALBERT P. HUMMEL, on INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA.

AUTOMATIC ClSTERN-WAT E -R CONTROLLER.

SPECIFICATION forming" part of Letters Patent N 0. 726,063, dated April 21, 1 903,

Application filed December 26,1902. se'ri'aimjisasva. m modelfl To all ZUhO'ITb it may concern: t v

Be it known that I, ALBERT'P- HUMMEL, a citizen of the United States,residing at Indianapolis, in the countyofoMarion and State of Indiana, have invented new'and useful Improvements inAutomaticGistern-Water Controllers and I do declare the followingto be a full, clear, andexact description of the invention, reference beinghad-to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters andfigures of reference marked thereomwhichformf a part of this specification. I

My invention relates to appliances for controllingthe water that mayfiow from .the roofs of buildings into cisterns, and it hasparticular reference to devices that are connected with the spouts that convey the water to the cisterns and also to the overflow and the cutout spouts. I

The object of the invention is to provide inexpensive means whereby the foul water that usually flows first aft er rains may be antomatically cut out or prevented from entering the cisterns and also'means whereby cisterns may be protected against overflow during long rainy seasons in cases where they have no independent overflow-outlets.

My invention consists in a water-spout provided with branches and gates therefor and automatically-operative means whereby the gates may be controlled by the action of the water that may passthrough the, spout; and the invention also consists in thenovel parts and in the novel combination and arrangement of parts, as hereinafter particularly'described and claimed.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a fragmentary view in elevation,,s howing one side of thedevices that operate the valve for turning out the foul'water; Fig.2, a view in elevation, showing theilower portions ofthe water-spouts to. which my invention is con-- nected, showing the ;devices in condition. to. permit the foul water to pass away without entering the cistern; Fig. 3, a fragmentary central vertical sectional 'view showing the automatic devices for cutting out the foul water arranged so as to permit the clean water to passto the cistern, Fig.4, a horizontal sectional View on the line A A, showing the top of the charging-funnel; Fig. 5, a horizontal sectionalview on the line B B, showing internal parts; and Fig. 6 a fragmentary vertical sectional .view showing: the upper portion of the controller for the cut-out gate for thefoul water;

Similar reference characters in the drawings indicate like parts.

ln construction the principalparts' may be composed of tin-plate, and a sectionof spout or tubing a is provided that may be attached to the lower portion of a vertical spout'leading from theroof-gutter of a building, the spout-section at having a lateral curved branch 5, to which is connected a vertical branch 0, adapted to entera cistern, which is indicated in the drawings in dotted lines 1, the level of the water being assumed to be approximately at 2 and the top of the cistern at 3.- The branch 0 has an-outlet branch (1, extending downwardly at an oblique angle therefrom, which is provided-with a cut-out gate 6 at the junction'of the two branches. The branch (1 has an inlet-tubef at the upper side thereof, and in vertical alinement therewith is a duct g, connected withthespout a and terminating at a point ata suitable distance above the top of thetubeffor conveying the foul water away from thebranch that leads to the cistern, a controlling-gate h, attached to a shaft '5, being mounted at the junction of the spout a and the branch b for turning the water in either direction. To complete the foulwater duct, I employ a drum j, having a bottom Z0, to whichis attached a tube Z, extending through the drum and connecting the tube f with the duct g, making substantially a continuous duct through the drum from the spout at to the branch (Z and thence to the atmosphere. The drum is capable of holding water above the tube Z, therefore being an annular tank, and has preferably a screen m,

covering the top thereof about the tube Z.

The tube Z has a small drain-hole n, covered detachable, so that the tank may be cleaned of trash, and also the tube Z may be detachable from the tubefand the duct g.

The shaft 2' is provided with a crank-arm 19 at the outside of the spout-junction, and for the purpose of normally holding the gate hin a proper position to exclude the foul water from the branch I), as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 2, a spring (1 may be coiled about the shaft t' and suitably connected thereto and to the spout, ora coiled spring 0' may be employed indirectly for the same purpose, in the present case this spring being connected to the annular tank and also to the branch I), the tank being connected by a link 3 with the arm 1), and thereby with the shaft t', so that while the spring r normally supports the tank the gate h is also held so as to close the branch I). In case the spring q is employed it will support the tank by means of the arm 1) and the link s.

In order to automatically operate the gate h, a charging-duct t is connected with the spout (t (or permissibly with its extension g) and with the annular tank, the upper end of the duct-tube having a funnel-shaped mouth it within the spout, provided with an inclined. screen 12 to prevent choking of the duct by leaves, &c.

For controlling the amount of water that may be desired to remain in the cistern the shaft to of the gate 6 is provided with a crankarm at, to which is connected a rod y, having a float 4 at the lower end thereof, the rod extending into the cistern and the float situated so as to be floated when the water may reach the desired level in the cistern, the elevation of the float causing the gate 6 to turn the Water from the spout branch 0 into the branch d.

In order to avoid injury to the annular tank should water therein freeze, a suitable number of yielding bars 5, preferably composed of soft wood, are attached to the screen an and extend to the bottom of the tank.

It should be understood that various modifications may fairly be made in the details of construction within the scope of my inventionas, for instance, the tube Zneed not extend above the screen an, although herein shown elongated for illustrative purposes, and the springs q or 0* may be mounted in various ways to accomplish the same ends.

In practical use the annular tank for governing the gate It will be elevated by the springs q or r to its highest possible position, when the gate it will close the branch 1). The water in the cistern being low enough will permit the weight of the float 4 to hold the gate e in a position designed to close the open ing to the branch (1. If now the water begin to flow down the spout a, it may be supposed to be unclean by reason of soot and dust on the roof of the building, and, as designed, it will pass through the branch g, the tube Z, the inlet-tube f, and out through the branch d without entering the cistern. Some of the foul water in its passage will enter the ductt through the screen 1; and pass into the annular tank in greater quantity than may pass out of the drain-hole 12, the latter being the smaller, and the water will gradually accumulate until the springs q or 1" become overbalanced, when, as the foul water may be presumed to have passed away, the tank will descend and open the gate h to the branch 1), closing the branch or duct g, permitting the clean water to pass into the cistern, some of the clean water still entering the tank and holding it down. When the water stops flow ing in the spout a, obviously no more will enter the tank, and what maybe there will slowly pass through the hole a and out the branch at, permitting the spring to again elevate the tank and close the gate h to the branch b. Should the cistern become as full as intended that it should, the float 4 will rise on the water and open the gate e to the branch 01 and cause the excess water to pass away ungathered.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new is 1. An automatic cistern-water controllerincluding a spout having a cistern branch and having also a terminating branch extending beyond the junction of the cistern branch with the spout, a gate at the junction of the cistern branch, a movable tube connecting the terminating branch and having a tank attached thereto, a charging-duct communicating with the spout and also with the tank, a spring normally supporting the tank and the movable tube, an arm operatively connected with the gate and also with the tank, an outlet branch in connection with the movable tube, and means whereby the outlet branch may be supported fixedly.

2. An automatic cistern-water controller including a spout having a cistern branch and having also a terminating branch extending beyond the junction of the cistern branch with the spout, a gate at the junction of the cistern branch, a movable tank operatively connected with the gate, a spring normally supporting the tank, a movable tube connected with the terminating branch and secured to the tank and having a drain-hole situated in a plane at the upper side of the bottom of the tank, a chargingduct communicating with the spout and also with the tank, anoutlet branch in connection with the movable tube, and means whereby the outlet branch may be fixedly supported.

3. An automatic cistern-water controller comprising a spout having a cistern branch and also a terminating branch in a plane above the cistern, an outlet branch connected to the cistern branch and having a vertical inlet-tube, a movable tube connecting the terminating branch and the inlet-tube and having a tank attached thereto, a gate at the junction of the cistern branch and the terminating branch, a charging-duct communicating between the spout and the tank, a spring normally supporting the tank and the movthe branches connected operatively with the able tube, an arm connected with the gate tank, yielding bars in the tank, a cut-out gate and also operativeiy connected with the tank, at the junction of the overflow-duct with one a cut-out gate at the junction of the cistern of the branches and having a float connected [5 5 branch and the overflow branch, and a float therewith, and a poising device for the tank.

connected with the cut-out gate. In testimony whereof I aflix my signature 4. An automatic cistern-water controller in presence of two Witnesses. comprising a spout having branches, an over- ALBERT P. HUMMEL. flowduct connected with the branches, a Witnesses: r0 poised tank having a drain-hole, a charging- WM. H. PAYNE, f duct for the tank, a gate at the junction of E. T. SILVIUS. 

